


You came and you showed me (that dreams can come true)

by orphan_account



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Angst and Fluff, Comfort, Finding home, M/M, Slow Burn, athlete!seungcheol, bassist!wonwoo, inspired on persona 5, wonwoo does a lot of things actually, wonwoo feels like home
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-03
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-07-30 08:48:05
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,256
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20094550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Seungcheol is lost in life, he wishes to give up. And Wonwoo is there to be sure he doesn't.





	You came and you showed me (that dreams can come true)

**Author's Note:**

> ok this is somehow inspired by persona 5?? but it isn't really– maybe just seungcheol's part. but anyways... i felt like i should have wrote the whole thing in one go but then maybe if i upload it already i'm going to motivate myself and continue? idk it's stressing me out anyways i love wonu and cheol!

He doesn’t really remember anything from that day. He can keep the date fully written on his mind though, April 25th 2016. He always thinks his mind is trying to keep away all the memories from three years ago, 9th grade of high school, but as much as he wouldn’t like remembering nothing -he does. He does and it hurts a lot.

He remembers his family being utterly supportive of him, caressing his soft black hair and hugging him as if he was about to graduate with honors and become a scientist -which, he thought, was the job his family wanted him to achieve, and to his surprise wasn’t. He also remembers his classmate cheering for him the most, the first time he has heard them being genuinely by his side, and it made him feel somewhat popular -loved even. It’s blurrier than the rest, but he can also see almost perfectly his teammates’ faces of pure adoration when they were cheering, time running out for them to go on the field and demonstrate what they were made of. He has also some piece of memory of his PE teacher giving him a handshake and a water bottle, nothing more. He’s glad though, because that man was scary and he prefers it that way.

But as if life was mocking him, as if life wanted to tell him he wouldn’t ever success, his most vivid memory of April 25th 2016 at 18:34 was his classmates, his teammates, his family looking at him with disbelief, faces showing shock and disappointment while he couldn’t do anything but fall on the floor, his leg injured hurting like a bitch and cry his heart out in silence. 

Choi Seungcheol, more than the humiliation and everyone laughing at him, remembers April 25th 2016 as the day he became a failure.

…

To this day, April 9th 2019, he hasn’t ever put a foot on the track field ever again. He believes -no, he knows from the bottom of his heart he would love to go again, he would fucking do anything on his hand to run again, to feel the breeze on his face while he’s giving out his all on arriving first at the end of the race. But, as much as his injury has healed pretty well and his physiotherapist was surprised at how quick it was healing for such a bad injury, Seungcheol is pretty sure he can’t. He can’t because what if he falls again? What if life repeats itself because it likes laughing at him? What if his teammates, since the prior track club disbanded after the incident, will hate him?

Seungcheol can’t because he’s scared, but he’s afraid to face it. 

Everyday he arrives at school earlier than he should, sits on a bench near the vending machines and the fields and stares at his trembling hands, wondering what has become of his life. Today isn’t any special. He goes to one of the vending machines, gets the cheapest soda -when three years ago he despised them and always drank healthier things- and stares at the fields. It has become a routine Seungcheol is embarrassed to admit. Stares at the track fields as if it was his most deared place on earth -although, yeah, it was. He feels his legs falling to support his weight again, his right leg remembering perfectly the day it broke -Seungcheol isn’t sure if what it broke was only the leg or also his whole life.

Going back again to the bench he sat before, since he feels he’s going to fall anytime soon, he hears some group of friends approaching him. Maybe the same group of friends who sometimes arrive early like him, although they probably don’t go there feeling miserable. And to his surprise, they aren’t. He recognizes some faces, a girl on his class and two seniors who once were his classmates but he had to repeat a year as if his life wasn’t a joke already. If he remembers quite well, which he’s positive since he has been with them several years, their names were Jisoo and Jeonghan. He feels a little ashamed though, because he can’t point out how was the girl called even though they were classmates.

He doesn’t really care, he at least wants to believe he doesn’t care about repeating a year and not being close with Jisoo and Jeonghan anymore.

Seungcheol gets up, willing to leave the three friends alone and not showing anyone how weak he has become, but before he leaves he bumps into someone, not really minding it as he doesn’t look up to apologize, only seeing a pair of slim legs walking at a slow pace besides another person.

Before he turns the corner, he hears a quite known loud voice talk to the three friends from before -or so he guesses- say “Hey guys, look at this dude, he’s the new transfer student and he’s on Yerin’s and I’s class”

Ah, her name’s was Yerin, right.

…

The day, as Seungcheol has expected it to be, has been absolutely energy-draining. Since he doesn’t take study too serious anymore and since he bleached his hair blond, he’s now the target of every single teacher.

Some think he has “become a delinquent” since he came back with blonde hair -the boy thinks it’s such a closed-minded and old fashioned thing to do on 2019, but it’s not like he can fight the authority that teachers are on high school and he doesn’t have the will to do it neither. What they don’t know is that he bleached his hair because seeing his horrendous, messy black hair in the mirror reminds him of that day, but he has to assume he will just be looked at as the new high school delinquent, jock or the sort. Some others also think that he has become a lost cause. Seungcheol has never been a model student or some sort of intelligent person that got everything in the first listening and never had to return to study it, but he was pretty studious and his marks were what you expected from him, never to high but enough for his family to be content. Since the accident, his notes fell way too abruptly to the point sometimes he didn’t even get one answer correctly, and now he has become the pray for teachers to ask something and laugh at him when he doesn’t know what to answer.

Seungcheol, sadly, thinks he deserves it for failing everyone.

The bell rings and although he has one last class before finishing the day, he doesn’t want to go. He collects all his things and exits the classroom, no one really caring -no one has really cared since three years ago, so Seungcheol doesn’t mind it anymore.

He goes back to the benches near the fields and does exactly the same he did in the morning -when he says it has become a routine he meant it. He drops his forehead on the gate to the track field, he would love to say it was the only thing that separated him from going back to the place he loved the most but he would be lying.

Seungcheol doesn’t know when, but he stars crying and it hurts so much he wishes for it to stop. He wants to go back in time and never fill in for track club, never find it interesting and a good way of being healthy and happy at the same time, for having a dream of becoming a professional. But he can’t, he knows he can’t and sometimes he wishes he would have never been able to walk again so all the weight on his back would be lessened, and people instead of giving him the cold shoulder would pity him. It’s better than being a nobody, anyways. The blonde feels weak, crying like he has been every single day as if it would solve his problem from that alone.

He’s scared to admit that he has come to the point of hating himself so much he wishes to disappear from everyone’s life, to never have been born. But then he also gets angry at himself because his problems probably would look stupid to everyone else, sometimes even for him, when there are people going through worse things.

He hears the bending machine being used, and if he knew any better he would flinch and run away from whoever was there, but it doesn’t matter anymore. Who hasn’t seen oh so great Choi Seungcheol, ex track club member, crying in the same spot and only laughed at him from distance? He’s used to being just a shadow by now, so it really does not matter anymore.

Or so he thought. But he actually flinches when something very hot burns his shoulder and without even wiping his tears or trying to look less miserable, he turns around to call out whoever is making fun of him.

He doesn’t expect for some tall young boy to be there, in front of him, holding hot chocolate -or at least he thinks it is from the smell-, sparing him the softest look he has had in three years. Three whole years.

The guy looks taken aback when he sees Seungcheol’s broken expression. And it weirds him out, because he doesn’t look disgusted, he just looks surprised.

“Oh my god—“ is the first thing Seungcheol hears from the boy, and his voice is deep and soothing and Seungcheol loves it. “I- I don’t want to sound rude but you look so bad… _ Oh my god _” he repeats. Seungcheol finds it even funny. Doesn’t this boy know about him? The biggest failure? The blonde was sure his PE teacher made the whole school know about what happened. “Please take this” he offers the hot chocolate with careful hands. “It’s not healthier than what you’re drinking but it boosts up my mood”

Fuck. Seungcheol is touched. How long has it been since someone approached him like this? “Th-thanks?”

“No need to thank me.” The tall boy smiles, and Seungcheol doesn’t know if it’s because it’s been a while since he has seen such a genuine smile but it warms him. “I saw you this morning, we bumped into each other. You are so easy to read, y’know? I don’t want to be nosy or anything but you seemed lonely and since— since I’m new I thought we could become friends. If that’s fine by you” and here’s the answer Seungcheol was craving. He doesn’t know shit because he’s new, and he’s sure everything will change once he hears what happens around the blonde.

“I don’t think you would want to be close to me, kid. I only bring… bad luck, to put it some way” the guy looks confused and Seungcheol would find it funny if the situation wasn't about his trauma. “I have… a reputation here.”

The boy adjusts his glasses —round silver glasses that were falling through his nose bridge, and smiles again. “I've been misjudged too during my whole life, dude. I don't think someone who seems so hurt and sad could be any bad. And if you are I want to be the one judging that. But seriously, if you don't want to be frie—” he gets interrupted by Seungcheol nipping his lower lip, his expression falling slowly and breaking into tears.

“I… Don't know what to say” he says between loud sobs. The guy looks worried and now Seungcheol laughs through his tears. “Drop it. I'm crying because it has been a while since someone… Well, since I had a friend”

The glasses guy smiles for the millionth time, and Seungcheol starts to feel more comfortable each time he does it. It's cute because his nose scrunches and his glasses move alongs it. Or that's just normal and the blonde is not used to anything.

“I’m Wonwoo, by the way” the boy so called Wonwoo bows politely, and Seungcheol returns it. It's a little awkward at first, but they are still strangers so he brushes it off.

“I’m Seungcheol, 9th grade” the presentation is short but he doesn't know what else to say. He's just Choi Seungcheol now, no track club’s president and fastest athlete or highest marks on physical education Choi Seungcheol from 6th grade.

“Let's see each other tomorrow then! Bye-” Wonwoo finishes the conversation and runs away, the blonde doesn't know if the situation was too awkward or the boy just has things to do at home. Seungcheol, anyways, feels something weird on his chest and he's sure it's a warm sensation. And it's not the long forgotten hot chocolate since it has cooled down already.

But, hey… Did the dude also skip last period on his first day?

…

Seungcheol arrives at his dorm, emotionally tired and only willing to go to bed and sleep for at least 8 years. His flatmate is in the living room, laptop on his side, earphones plugged and mobile phone in hand. Seungcheol assumes he’s texting someone so he just mumbles a quiet “Hi” and goes to his room.

It's not like Seungkwan is a bad guy or anything, but it hasn't been long since he left his parents’ home and the new version of himself, more socially inept and awkward, hasn't come to terms with him. They converse during the time they're together in a room and Seungkwan, who seems friendly and outgoing, never pushes it further for Seungcheol, who, at Seungkwan’s eyes, looks enough troubled already. They are not friend but neither strangers. Maybe just… flatmates.

“Cheol hyung—” he hears the boy call him. It's weird hearing a nickname and he's sure he isn't getting used to it anytime soon. “there was a letter at your name. I almost _ almost _opened it, but I didn't. I left it in the kitchen.”

After leaving all his things not very well organised on his bed, he goes back to the living room and tells Seungkwan directly “Thank you”, bows at him and walks to the kitchen.

Now it sinks in— a letter? From whom? He can only think of his parents, who are very familiar with technologies but wanted to keep contact by correspondence because it was “more intimate”. Seungcheol usually answers once every three or four letters because he really doesn't have the energy to keep up with all the “How are you doing at school?”, “Did you join any other club?”, “How are your marks?”. He's sure he will disappoint once he opens his mouth —or his paper, so he rarely does.

He reaches for the letter, wishing from the bottom of his heart it was from his family because he misses them although he hates all those questions. He’s a family person after all, and that won't ever change. He still loves his family to death, and as much as he knows he became a burden for them —therefore he moved away to a dorm—, he wants to believe they do too.

Once he reads it's his water and gas bills he hopes this day will end already for him.

Or his life.

No one really cares.

…

It's a new day, Seungcheol knows a miserable one but he still gets up and dresses up, because school is the only thing that keeps him from locking himself up for the rest of his life. He finds hilarious —quite sadistic, that all his shorter pants are thrown away in the corner of his room. He has never worn one again since his leg healed. The scar the accident left is huge, too visible Seungcheol believes. He didn't only broke it, but also scratched it deeply and the scar hasn't gone away and doesn't plan to in a long time —from bleeding, it went to a notorious purple, then black, and it still hurt only by brushing it, the next color was bright red and it has been fading slowly since then, although it doesn't hurt as much anymore, at least physically.

He sees his reflection in the mirror while dressing up, all the memories hitting him one by one just by the red mark across his shin. He hates it. He hates it as much as himself—

“Fuck everything” he mumbles before leaving his room, all things in his right shoulder. “Goodbye, Seungkwan” he tells his roommate, who is having breakfast —something he stopped having, while working on some papers.

“Have a good day, Cheol hyung” is the last thing he hears before closing the door and running off to school, earlier as always, to his usual spot.

When he arrives he doesn't expect the guy from yesterday —Wonwoo was it?— to be sitting on _ his _ usual bench, a tablet on one hand and his phone on the other. He's taken a back first, why would he approach the guy in the first place? All that talk yesterday was probably out of pity, which was actually better than having nothing, but Wonwoo maybe doesn't want to see him again, he just wanted to look friendly. Until the glasses boy looks up and sees the frozen fake blonde Seungcheol standing still, petrified, as if Wonwoo was going to harm him —which wasn't the case. Once he smiles, Seungcheol knows it's over for him.

“Hey, good morning, Seungcheol” the dark haired boy takes off one of his earphones and drop both devices to each of his sides. He still sounds sleepy, as if he forced himself to wake up at this ungodly hour only to meet the miserable Seungcheol —and that sounded so damn impossible Seungcheol even laughed at himself for thinking that.

“G-good morning, Wonwoo” the guy giggles, and fuck if Seungcheol’s stomach doesn't feel funny in the best possible way just by hearing it.

“You remembered! Thank you—” and if he reads exactly every single one of Seungcheol’s thoughts, he continues: “Maybe you thought I was joking yesterday but I really want us to be close! I like helping people and—”

“Do whatever you want, kid” Seungcheol doesn't want to interrupt him out of rudeness, he just wants the boy to not excuse himself over wanting to be friends. You don't have to have a reason to want to make friends, at least that's what he thinks.

“Ah, yes, I almost forgot” he says, sounding more excited now, even happy. “Here you go, to keep you awake the whole morning!” by the sound of it, Seungcheol thinks Wonwoo is offering him coffee because that's the usual drink for stressed teenagers to keep up with school (right?). He would reject it though, he doesn't really like nor enjoy coffee and it hasn't ever helped him wake up. But when he sees the transparent glass bottle it doesn't look like coffee, not even iced americano. “It's red tea, have you ever took it? It helps to bring up your mood a little, and also helps you lose weight but I don't think you need that. I made it myself, by the way! I love teas and—” Seungcheol knows Wonwoo is ranting about teas and things he doesn't understand one bit, but the boy seems happy and his eyes are sparkly and Seungcheol really tries to hear the whole conversation –monologue?– for him. He finally takes the tea and starts sipping. His face slightly lights up and Wonwoo starts telling him “I told you! I know a lot about teas” and giggles again and continues ranting.

Seungcheol, somehow, feels like Wonwoo is home but can't point out why.

  


**Author's Note:**

> twitter: @lilpjmnie


End file.
